The Ninjutsu and Samurai Origins Of Reiki

どうしてる？I would like to welcome everyone who visits our page a safe and peaceful day. May you find many blessing on your journey and renewed strength in the ever-evolving life of the present moment.

Over the past few decades the spiritual practices of Reiki have grown in popularity. It is not surprising to see housewives, college students, message therapists, doctors, occultists, and many others offering their Reiki services to the public and across the internet.

Reiki Practitioners claim that the spiritual practices that the system implements to aid others in healing, whether physical or spiritual, was rediscovered by Mikao Usui in the early 1920’s. Mikao Usui discovered Reiki while performing a twenty-one day retreat on Mount Kurama, which involved fasting, meditation, and prayer. Mount Kurama has a very interesting history for those who are unaware of some of the historical events that took place there, here is a listing:

1) The Kurama Temple, founded in 770 as the guardian of the northern quarter of the capital city (Heiankyo). The original buildings, however, were repeatedly destroyed by fire. The Main Hall was last rebuilt in 1971. The temple formerly belonged to the Tendai sect of Buddhism, but since 1949, it has been included in the newly founded Kurama-Kokyo sect as its headquarters.

2) Legend has it that more than six million years ago, Mao-son (the great king of the conquerors of evil and the spirit of the earth) descended upon Mt Kurama from Venus, with the great mission of salvation of mankind. Since then, Mao-son’s powerful spirit governing the development and the evolution not only of mankind but of all living things on Earth has been emanating from Mt. Kurama, and a priest named Gantei received the spiritual transmission.

3) In the first year of Hold (A.D. 770), Gantei, who was the best pupil of High Priest Ganjin, the founder of the Toshodaiji Temple in Nara, led by a white horse, climbed up to this holy place. His soul was enlightened with the realization of Bishamon-ten (the protector of the northern quarter of the Buddhist heaven and the spirit of the sun). Following, he founded the Buddhist temple on Mt. Kurama.

4) Later, in the 15th year of Enryaku (A.D. 796). The chief officer in charge of the construction of Toji Temple, saw a vision of Senju-kannon (The thousand armed Kannon and the spirit of the moon) and built temples and pagodas on the mountain.

4) The warrior called Ushiwaka-mani (later known as Minamoto Yoshitsune, 1159-1189). When he was a young lad, he took military arts under the “Tengusan” (subjugator of evil) at Kurama, and he went on to become an excellent soldier.

The Big Book of Reiki Symbols: The Spiritual Transition of Symbols and Mantras of the Usui System of Natural Healing by Mark Hosak makes the following observation on page 271:

“The Tengu of Mount Kurama are actually known for their fondness of hanging monls and ascetics with their heads down from trees and then eating them alive. …But it appears that they made an exception for Yoshitsume. In reality, it was not the Tengu that taught Yoshitsume but the Ninja.”

Hosak’s observation illustrates that Mount Kurama may have been grounds useful for the training of Ninjutsu, even on a small scale. Both the Ninja and the Samurai were said to employ the Kuji-In, sometimes referred to as the Kuji-In. Kuji-in was thought to be the source of a ninja’s powers of spiritual and mental strength. The following website states the following on the subject, http://cjj2004.tripod.com/budoryu/id24.html :

“What I am presenting here is by no means a complete account of the Nine Finger Cuts that gave the Ninja mystical powers, but it will serve the would be Maho Tsukai (sorcerer) as a very useful and provocative primer.

The exact origins of the nine cuts are unknown, but it is believed that the Tantric Buddhist Schools of Shingon and Tendai Mikkyo first introduced them to Japan.

It is a common misconception that the techniques of Kuji were the sole domain of the Ninja. This is not true, as even a cursory exploration of the Koryu (traditional feudal arts of the Samurai) will reveal. For instance, the Yagy Shinkage Ryu and the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu both made use of the Kuji In and Kuji Kiri.

Though the techniques of Kuji In and Kuji Kiri are closely tied to one another, they in all actuality serve two very distinct functions. The Kuji In hand positions are used to invoke nine levels of mystic power. They are a method of focusing the mind and activating these powers, each in turn. The Kuji Kiri, however, is a form of practical sorcery, the method of which we will discuss shortly.

When utilizing the Kuji In, you may find the outward technique less important than your inward understanding of the concepts symbolized by each of the “cuts”. In the beginning, rely more on what you feel internally, and less on written interpretation.

The Nine levels of the Kuji-in:

Rin – Strength

Kyo – Direction of energy

Toh – Harmony of the Universe

Sha – Healing of self and others

Kai – Premonition of danger

Jin – Knowing the thoughts of others

Retsu – Mastery of time and peace

Zai – Control of the elements of nature

Zen – Enlightemment”

Amazingly, we find a similar description of the term “reiki” described by Reiki Practitioner Peggy Jentoft.in her online article entitled, Reiki and Esoteric Buddhism:

“I was looking for something about Karma in an old book of lectures on the Hokekyo (Lotus Sutra ) a translation of some Buddhist lectures from the early thirties by Makaguchi and I stumbled across this,

” Reiki” (Spiritual power) is divided into 10

1. the power to tell the reasonable law of cause and effect from an unreasonable one neglecting the causal law.

2. the power to know the causal relationships ranging over the three existence’s of life past present and future.

3. the power to keep himself in the state of enlightenment

4. the power to realize the various functions of mind.

5. The power to know the intellect of people

6. the power to know the life condition of people.

7. the power to foresee the future of people

8. the power to know the causal relationships of people

9. the power to realize the the life of the past existence and the way to enlightenment

10. the power to obliterate past karma”

What I find amazing about this, is that Jentoft’s finding compares greatly with the Kuji-In used by the Ninja, almost line for line. In my recent attendance at the Muzosa Bujinkan Dojo, which can be found at the following link: http://www.muzosa.com/ -I notice that the opening ritual for entering the Dojo includes the mantra Dai Ko Myo, which is the Master symbol and mantra in the Usui System of Reiki. I have been involved with Reiki for over ten years now and I have a great respect for the accomplishments of Sensei Usui. I also realize and have great respect for the Ninja and Samurai martial arts, and the preservation of the Reiki aesthetic.